Benson, Tombstone baseball seasons end in second round of state playoffs

The 2A games this past weekend were played at the Goodyear Baseball Complex.

Benson’s and Tombstone’s exit leave Cochise County with no teams remaining in the 2A state playoff.

Of the four teams remaining in the final four of the playoffs, Morenci, who finished fourth in the 2A East behind Benson, Tombstone and Bisbee, is the lone remaining participant. The 10th seeded Wildcats are scheduled to face Horizon Honors on Friday in one state semifinal game while in the other it’s Scottsdale Prep and Phoenix Christian.

Scottsdale Prep’s run against Benson in the top of the fourth was all the Spartans needed as the Bobcats were unable to generate any kind of offense against Scottsdale’s pitcher sophomore Sahej Malhi who threw six innings against Benson and allowed no runs, two hits, he struck out eight and walked four.

Senior Nathan Kammer threw the seventh for SCP allowing no runs, one hit while striking out two and not allowing a walk.

Ryan Dunivan and Angel Rigney both pitched for Benson combining to allow the Spartans just the one run off three hits, they struck out seven and did not give up a walk.

Rigney and Dj Workman each hit 1-for-2 for Benson; Kellen Deskins was 1-for-2.

Tombstone’s game with Horizon Honors was scoreless until the top of the third when the Eagles, champions of the 2A South, rallied for five runs off four hits and two walks off Tombstone’s ace DJ Elias.

The Yellow Jackets responded in the bottom half of the inning scoring two runs making the score 5-2. Ty Adams drove in Miguel Rincon and Elias that inning.

Two more Tombstone runs in the sixth narrowed Horizon’s lead to 5-4 as Adams and Cesar Canez both scored.

The Eagles responded with four additional runs in the top of the seventh extending their lead to five at 9-4.

Elias and Adams both pitched for Tombstone this game, combining to allow Horizon Honors nine runs, eight hits, they struck out eight and walked five.

Tombstone had six hits this game. Elias was 2-for-3 with a run scored; Canez and Rincon each were 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Adams was 1-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.

Benson ends the year 17-10-1 overall, 13-1 in conference and 11-1 in region play while Tombstone ends its season 18-8 overall, 9-4 in conference, 8-4 in region play.